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Nonprofits · head to head

GiveSmart vs QuickBooks for Nonprofits

GiveSmart logo

GiveSmart

Nonprofits

Mobile bidding and event fundraising for charity auctions and galas

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuickBooks for Nonprofits logo

QuickBooks for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Accounting software for nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: GiveSmart covers Mobile bidding, QuickBooks for Nonprofits covers Accounting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GiveSmart and QuickBooks for Nonprofits actually diverge.

Attributes where GiveSmart and QuickBooks for Nonprofits differ
AttributeGiveSmartQuickBooks for Nonprofits
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, Desktop
FoundedUnknown1983

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GiveSmart

  • Mobile bidding
  • Auction management
  • Ticketing and check in
  • Text to give
  • Paddle raise and appeals
  • Payment settlement

Only in QuickBooks for Nonprofits

  • Accounting
  • Invoice management
  • Expense tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • Donation tracking
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Banking integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GiveSmart

  • A hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auctionnot QuickBooks for Nonprofits
  • An organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event nightnot QuickBooks for Nonprofits
  • A charity running several auction events a year that can amortise an annual licencenot QuickBooks for Nonprofits
  • A team wanting bidding, check in and payment settlement handled by one system on the nightnot QuickBooks for Nonprofits

QuickBooks for Nonprofits

  • Business operationsnot GiveSmart
  • Productivitynot GiveSmart
  • Automationnot GiveSmart

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GiveSmart

  • Licensing is annual while many buyers run a single event a year, so the effective cost per event is far higher than the annual figure makes it look.
  • Pricing is not published, and quotes commonly separate the licence, payment processing, hardware and event night staffing, so the first number a buyer sees is rarely the total.
  • On site technical support and equipment are usually extra, and organisations that decline them discover that event night is the worst possible time to be self supporting.
  • It is event software rather than a donor CRM, so guest and bidder data has to be pushed into the CRM afterwards or the relationship built at the gala is not retained.
  • Consolidation under Community Brands means several nominally competing products share an owner, which reduces the negotiating leverage a buyer thinks a shortlist gives them.

QuickBooks for Nonprofits

Nothing recorded yet. See the QuickBooks for Nonprofits review.

Pricing, plan by plan

GiveSmart

On request
  • GiveSmart$undefined/year
    • Quoted as an annual licence rather than per event
    • Payment processing charged separately on funds raised
    • On site staffing, hardware and additional event support quoted as add ons

QuickBooks for Nonprofits

On request
  • Simple Start$20/month
    • Basic accounting
    • Invoice management
  • Plus$50/month
    • Project tracking
    • Time tracking
    • Nonprofit reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose GiveSmart if

  • You need mobile bidding.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want auction management.
GiveSmart review

Choose QuickBooks for Nonprofits if

  • You need accounting.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want invoice management.
QuickBooks for Nonprofits review

Questions people ask

Is GiveSmart or QuickBooks for Nonprofits better?
Neither clearly leads. GiveSmart starts at On request and QuickBooks for Nonprofits at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GiveSmart or QuickBooks for Nonprofits?
GiveSmart starts at On request and QuickBooks for Nonprofits at On request.
Does GiveSmart or QuickBooks for Nonprofits run on more platforms?
GiveSmart runs on Web, iOS, Android. QuickBooks for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android, Desktop.
What is GiveSmart best used for?
GiveSmart is most often used for a hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auction, an organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event night, a charity running several auction events a year that can amortise an annual licence, a team wanting bidding, check in and payment settlement handled by one system on the night. Of those, a hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auction and an organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event night are not what QuickBooks for Nonprofits is typically brought in for.
What can GiveSmart do that QuickBooks for Nonprofits cannot?
GiveSmart covers Mobile bidding, Auction management, Ticketing and check in, Text to give. QuickBooks for Nonprofits covers Accounting, Invoice management, Expense tracking, Financial reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GiveSmart: Is GiveSmart priced per event?

It is normally an annual licence, so organisations running one event a year carry the full cost against one night.

GiveSmart: Who owns GiveSmart?

Community Brands, the private equity backed nonprofit and association software group that also owns MemberClicks.

GiveSmart: Does it replace our donor database?

No. It captures bidders and guests at an event and needs to feed a CRM afterwards.

GiveSmart: What is the actual benefit over paper bid sheets?

Bidding continues across the room and payment settles before guests leave, which is where paper auctions lose money.

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